{"id":8740,"date":"2023-02-28T19:05:55","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T19:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8740"},"modified":"2023-02-28T19:05:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T19:05:58","slug":"bar-stool-preachers-on-bouncing-back-from-covid-their-new-album-and-covering-cock-sparrer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8740","title":{"rendered":"Bar Stool Preachers on bouncing back from Covid, their new album, and covering Cock Sparrer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last time I interviewed the Bar Stool Preachers, we were sitting in a kitchen in a house in Newcastle, the day after what felt like a game-changing show at the beginning of March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The matinee gig at Trillians Rock Bar had been an all-ages affair, and felt like a glimpse into the future of how bands could connect with fans and nurture their audiences. After all, what’s better than growing up with a band’s music from an early age, and watching them develop as you do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All was not well, however; reports were filtering through to the UK of a new virus which had originated in China and was sweeping through Italy. Three weeks later Britain was plunged into an unprecedented lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, although life was a little scary, it meant time spent at home with their families. For a touring band like the Bar Stool Preachers, it meant that after five years of hard work, the rug had been well and truly pulled from under their feet, as the live music industry closed around them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Bar Stool Preachers playing live at Kubix Festival in Sunderland last year. Pic: Mick Burgess.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Work was already underway on a third album after two well-received efforts; 2016 debut Blatant Propaganda<\/em> and 2018’s follow-up Grazie Governo<\/em>. A handful of new songs had been road-tested, and had gone down well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catching up with BSP frontman Tom MacFaull three years later, it’s hard to believe so much has happened in the meantime, and that the band are basically only a couple of steps ahead of when we spoke last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press pause<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

He remembers the gig (reviewed here<\/a><\/strong>) well, and our chat afterwards (read that here<\/a><\/strong>). “That show’s gone down as one of the greatest days in our band’s short history,” he tells me over a Zoom call from his home in Brighton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What a great memory to have, people of all ages and from all walks of life. And we were so close to being able to do everything we wanted to do, only to have to press pause for 18 months and then start again.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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When in Newcastle, drink as the Geordies drink. The Bar Stool Preachers at Trillians. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The pandemic saw plans to give up their day jobs shelved, but they showed their social conscience with the release of a 12in picture disc featuring two recently-completed songs, When This World Ends<\/em> and State Of Emergency<\/em>, to raise money for the charity NHS Families Together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, after leaving original label Pirates Press for Pure Noise Records – home to The Bouncing Souls, Four Year Strong, Less Than Jake and Spanish Love Songs, among others – they’re ready to pick up where they left off, with new album Above The Static<\/em> due out at last on March 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom laughs when I remind him that last time we spoke he said they’d be taking their time over album number three – but I didn’t think he meant this long!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More commercial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“It’s been five years since our last album, and it should never be that long for a band like us. We’d written about 50 songs, picked our favourite 13, and only six have made it through, as covid and lockdown meant we had time to go back and keep writing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re really proud of the songs we’ve chosen for Above The Static<\/em>, and hopefully people will like them too.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I venture that two of the songs released as singles so far, Call Me On The Way Home<\/em> and All Turned Blue<\/em>, are far more commercial than anything the band have previously released, and Tom agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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